Subject: [Sipping] security review of draft-ietf-sipping-policy-package-05

From: Ran Canetti <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:31:38 -0400 (EDT)

*I have reviewed these documents as part of the security directorate's
  *ongoing effort to review all IETF documents being processed by the
  *IESG.  These comments were written primarily for the benefit of the
  *security area directors.  Document editors and WG chairs should treat
  *these comments just like any other last call comments.

The document seems clear and well written. My only remarks have to do with 
the instructions in the security considerations section regarding 
authentication of the policy exchange:

* It wasnt clear to me whether the policy exchange is security protected 
within the context of a larger protocol, or alternatively an exlusive 
security mechanism should be devised to protect this exchange. This might 
be clear to those who are familiar with related documents, but it might be 
a good ide to clarify this point explicitly in this document.

* The document says that the security concerns are:
-Authenticationg the endpoints (sever/user)
-Protecting confidentiality of the exchange.

This misses a crucial concern, which is protecting the authenticity of the 
exchange (beyond the authenticity of the endpoints). Perhans this was 
intended; better to say it explicitly though.

* The document says that the endpoints SHOULD secure the policy exchange.
Wouldnt it be better to mandate that the endpoints MUST at least 
authenticate the exchange, and leave confidentiality as an option?

Thanks,
Ran

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